Council of Europe discusses Putin, Lukashenko tribunal format

Council of Europe Secretary General and Croatian politician Marija Pejčinović-Burić said this in an exclusive interview with Espreso TV.

"This discussion is currently taking place at the level of experts within the framework of the Core Group of States I have mentioned. The moment has not yet come when the members of the Core Group will finally decide how and when to establish the tribunal," she said.

According to her, "as many international organizations as possible should be involved in the discussion."

"Including judicial institutions such as the ICC (International Criminal Court) and others. I think that a broader discussion about what would be the best solution and how to move towards it, once an agreement is reached, will give legitimacy to the future tribunal when it is formed," said Maria Pejčinović-Burić.

"It is therefore good that the discussions are thorough and that all possible ways of establishing the tribunal are really being considered. This is necessary so that once the final decision is made, it can start functioning effectively," the Council of Europe Secretary General summarized.

• As the U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland stated in January 2023, the United States, together with the G7 countries and Ukraine, is working to establish an international tribunal to bring Russia to justice for war crimes committed in Ukraine - various models of the future tribunal's mechanism are being considered.
• In September 2023, the justice ministers of the Council of Europe member states and observers adopted a declaration in the Latvian capital, which set out a number of principles to achieve "full accountability" for Russia's aggression against Ukraine and provide reparations to all victims of the war.